Fence-post.



J. M. FELLOWS.

FENCE. POST.

0N FILED APPLIC 0, I916. mwmww Patented Oct. 24,1916;

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fi J. WITNESSES INVENTOR GALA ATTORNEYS angular JOHN M. FELLOWS, OFBURLINGTON, INDIANA.

FENCE-POST.

Original application filed June 30, 1915, Serial No. 37,216.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented @ct. 2d, 1916.

Divided and this application filed May 16, 1916.

Serial No. 97,830.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN M. FELLOWS, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Burlington, in the county of Carroll and State of Indiana,have invented a new and Improved Fence-Post, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to fence posts and has particular reference tometallic posts having novel means for locking line wires thereto.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide a fence post havingimproved means for securing the longitudinal or main line wires theretoin such a manner that they cannot become accidentally disconnected, thefastening means, however, being such that the operator may connect ordisconnect the wires readily when desired.

The subject matter of this application is disclosed in and was dividedfrom a previous application for metal fence posts, filed June 30, 1915,Serial No. 37,216, and allowed December 27, 1915.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists inthe arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described andclaimed, and while the invention is not restricted to the exact detailsof construction disclosed or suggested herein,

still for the purpose of illustrating a prac-' tical embodiment thereofreference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which like referencecharacters designate the same parts in the several views, and in whichFigure 1 is a front elevation of the principal parts of a fence postembodying my improvements; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, thewires being in section and other parts being broken away; Fig. 3 is aside elevation of that part of the post that directly receives thewires; Fig. 4c is a perspective view of one of the filler membersserving to lock a wire in place; and Fig. 5 is a horizontal section onthe line 55 of Fig. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, I show a fence poststructure comprising a main post 10 of any suitable formation to providemaximum strength and rigidity in proportion to its mass. This post isprovided with a vertical rib 11 which may be either integral therewithor, as in the previous application, may constitute a verticallyadjustable extension member for the main post or base 10, the same beingadapted to be locked in adjusted position by keys or set screws 12 ofany suit able construction operating through the wings 13 of theextension and the web of the main post. For the present consideration,however, the principal feature of this part of the post lies in the wireseats 14 formed rearwardly and downwardly from the front edge of therib. That is to say, each of the seats has a horizontal portionterminating at its rear end in a vertical downwardly extending portionconstituting at its lower end a seat for the wire W. The seat and theslot leading thereto are only slightly larger than the diameter of thewire, although as to this feature I do not wish to be unnecessarilylimited. The post rib or extension may be provided with any suitablenumber of these wire seats, and they may be spaced according to thespacing for the wires or they may be made more numerous so that wiresmay be placed closer or farther apart as may be desired for anyparticular purpose of the fence. Preferably I provide the notches orwire seats in large numbers so that the wires may be placed at varyingdistances apart.

After the fence posts have been set and the extension, if any, has beenadjusted and locked in adjusted position, the wires are strung andspaced as above suggested, the seats 1 1 for the wires serving to holdthe wires temporarily from displacement. The operator then proceeds tolock the wires in place using for this purpose, first, a filler 15 foreach wire seat, said filler being, as shown in Fig. 4, in the nature ofa small metal block having a rounded or cylindrical face at its lowerend to embrace the upper portion of the wire and the block otherwisefilling the vertical space above the wire in the wire seat. The operatorplaces these several blocks in the several wire seats for each post. Thethickness or width of each block is preferably the same as the thicknessof the rib 11. A keeper 16, preferably formed in U- shape of sheetmetal, is slipped directly over the rib, the side portions of the keeperembracing the sides of the rib and the blocks 15. The keeper is notchedat its rear edges at 17 so as to straddle the several wires. The notches17 are spaced apart according to the spacing of the wire seats of thepost. The keeper is then looked to the rib by means of removabletransverse fasteners 18 passing through registering holes 19 and 20formed in the keeper and the rib respectively. These fasteners 18prevent the displacement or movement of the keeper, and the keeper holdsthe blocks 15 from displacement, and hence the Wires are held positivelyin their seats.

I claim:

1. In a fence post construction, the combination of a rigid membercomprising a vertical rib having open front notches, the notchesterminating at their loiver ends in wire seats below the open fronts,filler blocks inserted in the rear portions of the notches to hold theWires down in their several seats, and a .U-shaped member cooperatingWith the rib to hold said filler blocks from move- Uopies of this patentmay be obtained for ment in any direction, said keeper having straighthorizontal notches formed to receive the wires when slipped rearwardlyover the rib and being imperforate on opposite sides of the upper endsof the rib notches and filler blocks.

2.-In a fence post, the combination of a vertical rib having notchesextending rear- Wardly from the front edge thereof and thence downwardlyforming Wire seats, a filler block for each Wire seated in a wire seat,each filler block having its lower end concaved to embrace the upperportion of the Wire, a keeper embracing the rib and filler blocks andhaving notches to receive the Wires, and means to detachably secure thekeeper to the rib.

JOHN M. FELLOWS.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C.

